Let’s be real for a second. If you’re playing a game starring Dante, you aren’t exactly there for a grounded, tactical shooter experience. You are there to juggle a demon in the mid-air for fifteen seconds while a heavy metal track screams in the background. It’s glorious. But there is a weird misconception that Devil May Cry guns are just there to tickle enemies or keep a combo meter from dropping. That’s just wrong. If you think Ebony and Ivory are just "pea shooters," you’re essentially leaving half the combat system on the table.
Dante’s arsenal isn't just a collection of ballistic tools. It’s a rhythmic instrument. From the iconic wood-gripped M1911 clones to the literal suitcase that turns into a laser cannon, these weapons define the "Stylish Action" subgenre that Hideki Kamiya birthed back in 2001.
The Dual Pistols That Started It All
Ebony and Ivory. They’re legendary. Honestly, it’s hard to find a more recognizable pair of handguns in all of gaming. Designed by the "Artisan" Nell Goldstein (a bit of deep lore for the novel readers out there), these aren't your standard-issue sidearms. Ebony is built for long-range accuracy and stability. Ivory is the speed demon, meant for rapid-fire bursts.
Together? They defy physics.
The most famous move, Rain Storm, has Dante spinning upside down like a lethal ballerina, raining lead on anything beneath him. It looks cool. It feels even better. But the technical utility is what matters. In Devil May Cry 5, the Gunslinger style allows you to charge shots, creating "Mega Cascades" that can clear a room. Most people just mash the fire button. Don’t do that. You’ve got to time the shots to maintain the juggle height of a Scarecrow or an Empusa. It’s about air time. If you stop shooting, you fall. If you fall, the combo breaks.
Coyote-A: Not Your Average Boomstick
Then there’s the shotgun. Coyote-A. It’s a sawed-off beast that feels like it has the weight of a truck behind it. In the first Devil May Cry, the shotgun was basically a "get off me" tool. By the time we hit DMC4 and DMC5, it became a cornerstone of high-level play.
Think about the "Shotgun Hike."
By using the recoil of the blast, Dante can actually manipulate his own positioning in the air. It’s a mobility tool disguised as a weapon. If you’re playing Nero, you don’t get Coyote-A; you get Blue Rose. That’s a whole different beast. Blue Rose is a double-barreled revolver. It’s heavy. It’s slow. But the "Color Up" and "High Roller" mechanics allow Nero to imbue bullets with demonic power, causing delayed explosions. It creates a rhythm where you're attacking with the Red Queen sword, then—boom—a delayed gunshot goes off, launching the enemy back into your range just as you were about to lose them.
When Guns Get Weird: Pandora and Dr. Faust
Capcom loves to get weird with it. They really do. Take Pandora from Devil May Cry 4. It’s a briefcase. Technically, it has 666 forms, though we only see a handful in the game. It can become a gatling gun, a bazooka, a laser battery, and even a giant flying saucer that rains missiles.
It’s ridiculous. It’s "Peak DMC."
But the learning curve is steep. You have to manage the Disaster Gauge. If you aren't constantly switching forms and dealing damage, the weapon is basically a heavy box.
And then there’s Dr. Faust from the fifth game. This isn't even a gun in the traditional sense; it’s a hat. A cowboy hat that uses Red Orbs—the game's literal currency—as ammunition. You are quite literally throwing money at your problems. It’s a high-risk, high-reward mechanic that perfectly encapsulates the "Smokin' Sexy Style" ethos. You can get rich using it, or you can go bankrupt in a single boss fight if you’re careless. It’s a gamble. Most AAA games wouldn't dare put a mechanic like that in, fearing players would be too frustrated. Capcom? They just thought it looked cool.
The Evolution of Firearms Across the Series
- Devil May Cry (2001): Guns were mostly for "stalling" enemies in the air. Simple, effective, but lacked the depth of later entries.
- Devil May Cry 2: We don't talk about this one much, but it actually introduced the "Twosome Time" mechanic where Dante shoots in two directions at once. Credit where it's due.
- Devil May Cry 3: The introduction of Styles. This changed everything. Gunslinger mode turned the pistols into a primary damage source rather than just a support tool.
- Devil May Cry 4: Introduced Nero’s Blue Rose and the concept of "charging" shots while simultaneously performing sword combos.
- Devil May Cry 5: The peak of the system. Every gun feels distinct, from the Kalina Ann (and its dual-wielded variant) to the wacky Dr. Faust hat.
Why the Physics Matter
You ever wonder why Dante doesn't just fall immediately when he starts shooting? It's "Coyote Time" and "Air Hikes" mixed with ballistic lift. The developers at Capcom, specifically under Itsuno-san’s direction, understood that the guns serve as a bridge.
Swords are for damage. Guns are for time.
When you're fighting a boss like Vergil, guns are your best friend for interrupting his summoned swords or keeping his stagger gauge from resetting. You aren't trying to deplete his health bar with Ebony and Ivory—that would take an hour. You're using them to "freeze" the game state in your favor. It’s a psychological battle as much as a mechanical one.
The Lady Factor: Kalina Ann
We can't talk about Devil May Cry guns without mentioning Lady. She is a human in a world of demigods, and she keeps up by carrying a rocket launcher with a bayonet attached to it. The Kalina Ann.
In DMC3, this weapon was a game-changer. It provided massive AOE (Area of Effect) damage that Dante desperately needed for crowd control. In DMC5, Dante eventually gets two of them. He can use them like giant nunchucks that fire rockets. It makes absolutely no sense from a physics standpoint. It’s completely impractical. And yet, within the logic of the game, it’s the most satisfying thing you’ll ever do.
The "Double Kalina Ann" moveset is a love letter to over-the-top action cinema. You can plant them into the ground and create a literal curtain of fire. It’s about spectacle. It’s about the "wow" factor that keeps players coming back twenty years later.
Master the "Gunslinger" Mindset
If you want to actually get good at these games, you have to stop treating the shoot button as an afterthought. You've got to integrate it into your muscle memory.
Start with the basics. Practice the "Jump Cancel." This is a high-level technique where you use an enemy's hit-box to reset your aerial animations. If you jump cancel a shotgun blast, you can fire again almost instantly. You can stay in the air indefinitely if you're fast enough. It’s rhythmic. It’s like playing a drum kit where the cymbals are explosions.
Check out players like Donguri990 on YouTube if you want to see what this looks like in practice. It’s terrifying. They use Devil May Cry guns to juggle three enemies at once while switching between four different weapons in the span of five seconds. It’s the gold standard.
Practical Steps for Your Next Playthrough
Ready to actually use these tools properly? Here is how you should approach your next session in DMC5 or the HD Collection:
- Remap your controller. The default "Shoot" button is usually X or Square. Move it to a trigger (L1 or R1 / LB or RB). This allows you to hold a charge shot while still using your thumb for the "Attack" and "Jump" buttons. This is the single biggest "pro tip" for the series.
- Focus on the "Stun" value. Some guns, like the shotgun, have high knockback. Others, like the SMGs in DMC2 (yeah, they were there) or the pistols, have high "stagger" potential. Use the pistols to keep an enemy's guard down and the shotgun to blow them into a corner.
- Don't ignore the "Style" rank. Using the same gun over and over will make your Style rank plummet. You have to weave them in. Sword, sword, pistol, shotgun, sword. That’s the flow.
- Experiment with "Honeycomb Fire." In Gunslinger style, mashing the shoot button during certain moves will trigger a rapid-fire animation. It’s great for building style points quickly at the end of a combo.
There is a depth to the ballistic side of Dante’s world that most people miss because they’re too focused on the swords. But the guns are the glue. They are the reason the combat feels fluid instead of chunky. They are the reason you can turn a simple encounter into a choreographed masterpiece.
✨ Don't miss: New World Aeternum Roadmap: What Really Happened to Amazon's MMO
Go back and try DMC3 or DMC5 again. Remap that shoot button to a trigger. I promise you, it feels like playing a completely different game. You'll finally understand why Dante carries those oversized pistols everywhere. It's not just for show—it's for the symphony of destruction.